mia_jojo's reviews
19 reviews

It Ain't Me, Babe by Tillie Cole

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I wrote an earlier version of this review where I talked about how I was too busy to read it so I dropped it. I talked about how I thought that the book was getting slow and then my exams started and it was a whole thing.

Now, I'm starting the book where I left off, and swear to God, I will finish it. And when I do, there'll be a complete, detailed and sensible review.

HANG TIGHT FOR IT! ;)
Fallen University: Year One by Callie Rose

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Games We Play by Dana Isaly

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

 So... I read this book and I have thoughts. First off- the characters were all really likeable and interesting. The book's concept was also definitely new (for me- I don't know about you, but this was the first "Gamer Romance" I ever read. Like, ever) And all things considered-- It was... Pretty good. I liked the author's style of writing, the book had me going and overall, given the length it was great!

This is a good book for anyone in a reading slump. It's a really quick read, short, simple, easy to understand, fast-paced and with a smaller plotline. I mean, it's very predictable- there is absolutely no twist throughout the entire book.

In the book, we basically see the two main protagonists fall in love with each other over the short span of just one night. Just. One. Night. The whole plot of the book is basically
"Hey, I just met you, I wanna have sex with you!-- And then they bang-- And then it's all, "I had sex with you and now I'm falling in love..."-- And I know that it sounds negative-- But that really is the entire plot-
I can't find other words to put it more bluntly.

I would also like to add- the book is bordering the edge of "Erotica" because of the sheer amount of just... Pure banging- In it. If you're someone who likes a clean romance-- Not for you, brother. Back out while you can.

All that being said, there is a second book in the series which is called "Secrets We Hunt" by the same author. If you were interested in the series but were sceptical because of the length of the books- You can read them both together- If the storyline grips you.

And that's it.

To sum up, READ if you:
-Can handle/Like smut.
-Are in a reading slump and need to read something simple.
-Are fine with short books.

DO NOT read if you:
-CanNOT handle smut.
-Cannot handle kinky stuff.
-Want a clean romance book.
-Want a long

And to describe the book in one line: It's basically a short film but in the form of a book.

Now for the reason I gave it 3-outta-5-- That's because of the length. I know- that bit's on me, but I still think the author should have drawn out the romance a little more. Maybe change the way these two people met. I don't know, but I still think it would've been a more beautiful story and would've had more value if the length was increased and they faced more of a conflict through the book, with real forces tearing them apart. It lacked a plot. The whole thing seemed like it was drawn out so they could--- Bang, basically.

But for me- I mainly read this because I was in a reading slump and I wanted to get out of it. This book was small and I wanted to add another finished book to my Goodreads reading challenge for 2022.

And the book did serve its purpose. The characters were pleasantly charming but I found the book lacking depth in them. There is no character development at all-
They just meet each other, develop a fancy for each other and then decide to marry.


So overall- 1 star for content, 1 star for cover, 1 star for the title. KIDDING-- I'm kidding- the book isn't completely worthless. The writer's style of writing it out is... Acceptable.

No, but I'm not hating on the book-- This is constructive criticism (I hope.)

Ok- those were all my thoughts on the short, short book and now I'm going to end the review here. Hope it was helpful! 
Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Dear Love, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 So-- I have to say one thing here. This was actually-- Believe it or not-- The first actual romance novel I've ever read. Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd-- I mean... You can see my thoughts on how many stars I gave it. This book was so emotional, and Aveena and Xavier are so f***ing perfect for each other.

Okay. So- I wrote a different version of the review you're reading right now, but it was inaccurate so I changed it and my rating of the book. My final rating?-- 5 stars. I re-read a scene I'd annotated in the book and fell apart at it. The author wrote the whole book beautifully. I'm telling you- if you like any sort of Romance-- you'll LOVE this book.

So now I'm going to explain a bit of the plot and lay out the tropes in this book for you guys.-- If you wanna go into the book blind then don't read!!-- And there may be spoilers-- MAYBE.

So there's a sort of-- Online thing trope- the one in Penelope Douglas's book "Punk 57"-- You know- the one where you're friends with someone online but don't know who they are in real life?--Yep. That one. There's also an Enemies-To-Lovers trope in this book. And a little bit of "Forbidden Romance"-- At one point where the villain shows up in the book-- They're sort of pinning after each other in their hearts which I thought was just -- SO adorable...

Is that a spoiler??-- I'm sorry, this is really hard.

Anyway, for me, it was a solid 4-star read. It wasn't too complicated, the pacing was good-- I never felt like it was dragging out things. And overall-- It's a simple comfort book. Read it if you wanna get into an easy-going book that's not completely void of emotion.

There are some really STEAMY scenes in the book- like, steamy AF-- Which-- I'm here for it, girl!!-- But if you're not-- you'll have to skip like-- maybe 2.5 scenes in the book.

So... Yeah. That's all I have to say for DL,IHY. To wrap it up-- Sweet, emotional, steamy, well-written, fun read and easy read. Like I said-- Comfort. Book.

Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-- WAIT-- There's more. If you're looking for a more badass heroine-- I suggest DH,IHY (Dear Heart, I Hate You) by the same author which is coming out in Feb 2022- it's Finn and Dia's story and it's book 2 in the Easton Boys series-- which I think are a series of standalones taking place in the same universe-- So DH,IHY can be read BEFORE you read this book-- The events in DH,IHY take place before this one-- But again-- you can read either of them first. And if they get you to want to read the other couple's story as well, then go ahead!!

Okay, NOW we're good.

Solid 4 stars. Not five cause heroine wasn't really badass enough for me.-- But that's just my opinion-- and the book is still a pretty good read. So now I'm going to stop ranting and end the review, here. 
Start a Fire by Julia Wolf

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Start A Fire is a Highschool Bully Romance written by Julia Wolf.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before saying anything about the book, I'd like to speak a bit to anyone reading this about the "trope" or "genre" of this book. It's a Bully Romance. When reading, it's important that you know the difference between an Enemies to Lovers and a Bully Romance. The thing is, "Bully" might seem like the next step to an Enemies to Lovers and you might be thinking that it will be similar, but it won't be.

The main difference between the two tropes has to do with the characters. In an Enemies to Lovers, you'll expect banter, a badass heroine, a tough on the outside, soft on the inside guy- You know, things where the two individuals are on par with each other. But in a Bully Romance, there is no such thing as equality between the two individuals. One of them (usually, and in this book, the male) is the "Dom" or "Dominant" and the other is the "Sub" or "Submissive". The two characters' relationship will most likely start off as toxic, and if it's a series, it may end badly for them in the first book and they'll pick up things from the second book. You can expect a pushover heroine, an overly a$$hat and unlikeable hero giving off strong alpha male vibes and no banter. Just strict "Command And Obey" interactions. In this book- there isn't really a "Command And Obey," but we'll get to it later.

These two tropes have been confused a lot between beginners, and this is just a word of precaution if this is your first Bully Romance- Like it was for me.

{Me}*Takes a deep breath and sighs in satisfaction because they explained everything so well*
Okay, now that we have that little differentiation out of the way, let's get on with the review.

Starting off, I'd just like to say that there is a trigger warning for sexual abuse and assault in this book.

I found the book to be very well written. This was my first book from the author and it was quite easy to read and understand. It was entertaining, and honestly one of my quickest reads, ever. I was turning the pages to get to what happened next, and the book never disappointed me.

This is a good book for anyone looking for a little darkness in their romance but needs it to be "Not Fantasy". And if you want to get out of a reading slump and can handle the TW.

But I must say, if you're triggered by things like rape or sexual assault, please give this book a pass. You will not be able to get past it.

So yeah... That's it for my review. If you're looking to get into bully romances but don't want to start off with something as dark as this book, then I'd suggest "Things I Wanted To Say, But Never Did" by Monica Murphy. It's a little lesser on the darker side and has a more likeable and respectable ML. The one in this book comes off as a complete jerk to me, and he is- For almost half of the book. But Monica Murphy's book is still a bully romance and has all the classic elements, but I must say- it's about twice the length of this one at 604 pages. So... Yeah.

Anyway, hope you found this helpful!
Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Things I Wanted To Say (but never did) by Monica Murphy

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 NOTE: The first part of this review is cautionary, and the reason I gave it only 4 out of 5 stars is further below.

WARNING: Know what you're getting into, people. This book is not a joke.

So the whole book-- (this is from the hater's point of view and also partially true)-- is actually a degradation kink. Trigger warning for that. If you can't deal with the degradation kink then do yourself a favour and spare yourself this book. You will not survive.

I'm going to just say 1 crucially important thing. This book is definitely not for everyone. The reason for that is evident. It's not your typical comfort read. This book is for those looking for a bit of a challenge to read-- Clear as day in the length of it, with a little bit of everything (emotion, angst, smut are the main elements.) And it's meant to be pure fiction. *Ahem* Let me re-emphasise. PURE FICTION. Can be VERY triggering at times, watch out for the inner feminist in you, cause she will die at some point in this book, or, at the very least, be wounded severely.

So the guy in this book-- Treats the girl like absolute shit for the first part of the book, but that's... I mean, that's a given. It's a BULLY ROMANCE after all. He's supposed to treat her the way he treats her for the most part of it. The girl, who has a bit of a submission kink and is also an apparent masochist- kind of.. Maybe enjoys(??) the way he treats her-- The point is, he's supposed to be that way, and she's also supposed to be that way. And I can see how the girl comes off as a complete push-over for the entire book- like all throughout until, like, the last 60-70 pages. And that's a long time to remain a weakling-- The book's long AF. (Forgive my use of casual language in such an important matter, but it seemed only fitting.) The guy is a complete douche. "Cold and beautiful as the statues," Summer describes him as. I have to say I agree with her. He's the kind of guy you suspect to have a block of ice or stone where their heart was supposed to be.

Now here's the thing. I actually enjoyed the book. It's because of the dynamic between the ML and FL-- The romance in the book-- It's there but just barely there. I-- It's like a slow burn but only for the emotional part-- like the characters have each other's bodies but don't have their hearts till the end. If you like that, then this book will have been worth it. If you think you won't survive the horridness of ML's behaviour, then it's TOTALLY OKAY. I get it. Like I said earlier, it's not for everyone. But it is definitely for me.

Again, I completely understand how the book can be really, really, really anti-female at times in Summer's case, but there's-- So you gotta really be patient with Whit. That's-- ML's name. Whit. (Whom I keep mistaking with the name "Will" which is why I haven't mentioned ML's name until now, when the fog in my brain cleared up).

Yeah, so anyway, gotta be PATIENT. He starts to show emotion-- to his inner self-- not to Summer-- and starts to sort of figure stuff out for himself after, like, the first 100-150 pages of the book. (I think.)-- Oh yeah!! That reminds me!! If you're someone who's a sucker for a redemption arc or character development on the ML's side, then this book has that too. Lots of it. I mean its whole principle is literally redeeming the "BULLY" and making him go from Summer's life's Villain to Summer's life's Hero. Did I spoil the book? I don't think so...

Anyway-- READ if you:
-Like Redemption/Character Development
-Can HANDLE degradation/Like degradation
-Can handle/like intense smut
-Can stick with long books and finish them (you're going to need just a little determination and patience and empathy to get through the first 300 pages.)
-Sucker for the "Good girl_X_Bad boy" trope.
-Can HANDLE Bullies. Like big, big bullies.
-Looking for some darkness to spice up your life.

AND DON'T Read if you:
-Hate anti-feminism vibes
-Need strong FL
-Need kind ML
-Need some light in your life at the moment
-Can't stand "doormat FL."
-Can't handle smut.

So yeah. Those are my complete thoughts and feelings related to this 604-page monster-book. Honestly- I think the author did a great job of redeeming Whit, and I'mma add one more thing. I connected way more to the ML than the FL-- simply because I felt that the ML had so much more depth to him and was overall constructed as a better character. So.. that's there too. Just wished the FL was written as a more badass character and not a complete doormat/submissive. That kind of bummed me out a bit, hence the 4.5 out of 5 start rating. Just that connecting to the FL was a little hard.

Holy shit-- This is getting really long. Well-- A long book deserves a long review, no? To wrap it up, for me, this was a solid 4-star read. Enjoyable, and I'll also say that there are certain moments in the book where the ML-- I just find him so cute at times (Yeah, yeah, kill me for it-- I can understand if you don't share the same opinion.)

So I'm going to end now, have a great day, and also-- If you read this much of my review then-- Wow... I mean... You really need some help getting into this book, huh?

Anyway-- Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! 

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Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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